Participation: how should rights-holders, local communities and other stakeholders be engaged?

The World Heritage Committee recognizes the critical importance of involving Indigenous, traditional and local communities in decision-making about World Heritage. One of its Strategic Objectives is to ‘enhance the role of communities in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is an international treaty adopted by the UN in 1972 that defines the kind of natural or cultural sites which can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List for their Outstanding Universal Value for all humankind. Commonly known as the World Heritage Convention, it establishes how the international community as a whole is responsible for
the protection of such heritage and sets out the duties of States Parties in identifying potential sites that may be eligible for inscription onto the World Heritage List and their role in protecting and preserving them. By signing the Convention, each country pledges to conserve not only the sites situated on its territory that have been recognized as being of Outstanding Universal Value, but also to protect its national heritage and to be involved in international efforts to protect, conserve and promote the heritage of humankind. ’. National legislation and international financial institutions may also require transparent impact assessment processes and public engagement in project planning: these should act as a minimum requirement, but more comprehensive engagement of stakeholders will often be helpful. This issue is discussed here at the beginning of the impact assessment process because it should be integrated as appropriate at each step.

The participation of rights-holders, local communities and other stakeholders (see Box 6.1) in impact assessment should start early and continue throughout the process. A schedule should be prepared at the outset which identifies the different groups, how they relate to the World Heritage property A cultural, natural or mixed heritage place inscribed on the World Heritage List and therefore considered to be of OUV for humanity. The responsibility for nominating a property to the World Heritage List falls upon the State(s) Party(ies) where it is located. The World Heritage Committee decides whether a property should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, taking into account the technical recommendations of the Advisory Bodies following rigorous evaluation processes.
When used as a general term, World Heritage refers to all the natural, cultural and mixed properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. and proposed action, their rights and concerns, and their role in decision-making. This will help to determine how and when they should be engaged and consulted. It should also specify a balance of genders, ages, ethnicities and other relevant dimensions; and recognize factors that could limit balanced participation, and adjust participation approaches accordingly

Rights-holders Actors socially endowed with legal or customary rights with respect to heritage resources. In cases where there are Indigenous people involved, they have the right to free, prior and informed consent before approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, and need to participate in impact assessment. , environmental and heritage authorities, and some key stakeholders will play a greater role throughout the assessment process than others and should be contacted directly to ensure their early engagement. Rights-holders Actors socially endowed with legal or customary rights with respect to heritage resources. In cases where there are Indigenous people involved, they have the right to free, prior and informed consent before approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, and need to participate in impact assessment. may have rights that may affect how, or whether, the proposed action can go ahead. Indigenous peoples have the right to free, prior and informed consent: this applies specifically to World Heritage All inherited assets which people value for reasons beyond mere utility. Heritage is a broad concept and includes shared legacies from the natural environment, the creations of humans and the creations and interactions between humans and nature. It encompasses built, terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, landscapes and seascapes, biodiversity, geodiversity, collections, cultural practices, knowledge, living experiences, etc.   procedures, and should be considered for other stakeholders as well. Environmental and heritage authorities Environmental and heritage authorities are governmental organization(s) primarily responsible for ensuring the protection and management of natural and cultural heritage within their countries. These authorities would also be responsible for the implementation of activities related to the Convention within their countries. may need to be formally consulted by law.

Information about the proposed action and its impacts should be shared with all of these groups in a clear and timely manner, and they should be given the opportunity to contribute to understanding heritage/conservation values, raising issues, meaningfully discussing alternatives, and suggesting measures to mitigate any impacts. The nature, scope and frequency of engagement should be proportionate to the nature and scale of the proposed action, its potential risks and impacts, and the group being engaged.

Engagement techniques include running workshops to identify baseline data and identify/assess alternatives; involving local residents in a decision-making panel; or at a minimum, providing and clarifying information about the proposed action and its impacts, with an opportunity to comment. More ‘active’ techniques that empower communities and promote two-way communication are generally preferable to more ‘passive’ techniques that merely present information about the proposed action (Figure 6.2), although factors like the make-up of any workshops or consultative groups also need careful consideration. It is important that communication with rights-holders, local communities and other stakeholders is carried out in relevant community languages and with culturally appropriate methods.

There should be an appendix to the final impact assessment report (Section 6.11) which:

• Lists who was consulted, and why
• Explains the participation techniques used
• Summarizes the consultation responses, and explains any changes made in response to these
• Explains, where applicable, why no changes were made.